Garment hanger



J. D. CONEY- GARMENT HANGER Jan. 1, 1946.

Filed May 22, 1944 .FIG'4'.

INVENTOR. JAMES D CONEY R l m 4T Q A Patented Jan. 1, 1946 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

GARMENT HANGER James D. Coney, Chicago,

Application May 22, 1944, Serial No. 536; 688" 4"Claims.

This invention relates to garment hangers and more particularly to thecombination wire frame and rigid rod strut type garment hangers,although certain features thereof may be employed with equal'advantagein connection with other types of garment hangers or for other purposes.

It contemplates more. especially an improved garment hanger thatembodies a combination wire frame and rigid bar strut such as a roundwood solid rod which can be readily assembled by the user to provide animproved hanger construction that is capable of sustaining heavygarments without the usual tendency of the wire hanger portion becomingseparated fromthe .pa-v per tubestrut.

The use of a solid wood'strut imparts such increased rigidity to a wiregarment hanger frame as to enable the use of much lighter gauge wire forthe hook and frame. This appreciably decreases the material andconstruction costs and still provides the necessary rigidity andrequired garment load capacity. Durability is also improved as there isno destructive influence whatsoever on a wood strut even with therepeated use thereof over a long period of time. While the material ofthe strut has been specifically desig-- nated as wood, yet this shouldbe construed by way of example rather than limitation to cover anymaterial having properties of rigidity and strength capable ofadaptation tov the structural concept of wire frame attachment with thebracing strut constituting an element of the garment hanger, in themanner and according to the teachings of the present invention.

One object of the present invention is to simplify and improve theconstruction of garment hangers embodying a combination wire frame andsolid wood or other highly rigid strut.

Another object is to provide an opentwiregarment frame for readyattachment to a solid wood or other highly rigid strut without placingeither element under tension, deformation or strain.

Still another object is to provide a garment hanger of the typementioned having wire arms terminating in specially shaped openloopextremities to provide ready engagement with a rigid wood or otherhighly rigid strut without.requiring either of the elements to be undertension, deformation or other strain in effecting or maintaining theassembly thereof.

A further object is to provide an improved garment hanger constructedpartially from non-me.- tallic material to afford complete garmenthanger utility with acombination wire and solid wood or other highlyrigid strut assembly.

A stil1 .further.object istoprovide a garment hanger. of. the, typementioned havingwire arms terminating in open loops with extensions toprovide ready engagement with a solid wood or other highly rigid strutwithout requiring either of the elementsv to. be under tension,deformation or other strain in. retaining the assembly thereof. Stillafurtherobject is to provide a garment hanger of the type mentionedhaving wire arms terminatingin open loop extremities with extendingfingers projecting into recesses in the solid barstrut to enable. theirassembly without placingeither element under tension, deformation orother strain.

Other objects and advantages willappear from the following descriptionof an illustrated embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front View in elevation of a garment hanger embodyingfeatures of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end view in elevation of thegarment hanger shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view in elevation of an end portionof the wire arm together with the complemental portion of the solid barstrut showing the assembled construction and relation of the garmenthanger elements.

Figure4 is a fragmentary. sectional view in elevation of an end portionof the solid wood strut embodyingfeatures of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end view in elevation of the end portion wireframe and solid wood strut assembled to receive a fastener to illustratethe manner of supporting a skirt or other garment therewith.

Figure 6 is an end view of a solid bar strut showing the complementalend slot enabling assembly with the wire frame portion.

The structure selected for illustration is not intended to serve as alimitation upon the scope or teachings of the invention, but is merelyillustrative thereof. There may be considerable variations: andadaptations of all or part of the teachings depending upon the dictatesof commercial practice.

The present embodiment comprises a wire or I frame [0 of light gaugewire construction procomprising part of the frame arms l3-l4 respectively.

The downwardly extending frame loops 2ll2l have curved legs 22-23 thatare spaced from each other to define the upwardly open loops 202 I. Theinward loop legs 23 terminate in upwardly and outwardly extendingstraight fingers 24 that diverge from. each other to present engaginginstrumentalities for connection to the frame strut to be hereinafterdescribed. It should be noted that the diverging strut engaging fingers24 extend upwardly at an inclined angle above the horizontal strutsupporting portions l8-l9 for substantially the radius or onehalf thethickness of a rigid strut 25 that is interposed between the confrontingarm ends' |5-I1 and Iii-l1.

The strut 25 is preferably though not essentially of solid constructionand shaped from wood, although other suitable materials may be utilizedto provide a rigid, polygonal bar such as a round rod supported betweenthe straight inwardly inclined ends I! of the frame ID as will appearmore fully hereinafter.

The length of the rigid strut 25 is somewhat greaterthan the distancebetween the straight frame ends l1, since upwardly diverging slots 26are provided in the ends 21 of the solid strut 25 to communicate withthe rounded or chamfered circular edges 28 of the rod ends 21 thereof topermit free registry with the straight and correspondingly inclined endsI! of the wire frame m. This precludes the rotation of the. strut 25relative to the frame arms l3-l4 and provides for the insertion of thedownward converging straight frame arm extensions I! so that the loopedextremities 20-2! thereon will be positioned belowand protrudedownwardly from the strut 25 proximate to the strut ends 21. Thehorizontally straight frame end extensions l8l9 contact the underside ofthe strut 25 when the loop extension fingers 24 are disposed in inclinedrecesses or apertures 25. The apertures 29 diverge upwardly into thesolid strut or rod 25 to correspond in length, divergence and spacingwith the loop fingers 24; however, the loops 2ll2l provide the necessaryyield to permit the wire diverging arms I3l4 with their ends l5--l6 toslip over the rod or strut ends 21 for lodgement into the strut endslots 26. The upwardly divergent apertures 29 with the correspondinglyinclined straight fingers 24, preclude the separation of the frame I 0from the rod or strut 25 under all conditions.

It should be noted that the strut end slots 26 have the same divergenceof the frame ends I! and substantially merge with the surface of thestrut ends 2'! near the top diametrical vertical line point thereof sothat the frame curved ends -46 will contact and engage the garment atthe outermost projecting frame and strut point. The strut end s ots 28prevent lateral movement of the frame arms I3|4 in either direction andcoupled with the loop fingers 24 projecting in the strut apertures 29maintain the initial shape and diverging angularity thereof irrespectiveof the garment load thereon. With the frame arm terminal fingersprotruding into the bottom opening apertures 29 that divergingly extendupwardly into the solid strut 25, the downwardly extending loops -2| andparticularly the horizontally confronting frame portions I8I9 rest alongthe bottom surface of the strut or rod as support therefor and tostabilize the assembled connection between the wire frame [0 and thesolid strut 25. In spite of minute variations in the shape orconfiguration of the frame terminal loops 202l which may occur in largeproduction operations, the open type loops 20-2l together with theirlong strut engaging fingers 24 will permit sufficient yield to provide aperfect engaging fit between the wire frame l6 and the strut 25. Thereis no tension on the wire frame 10 while in assembled association withthe strut 25 and none is required to keep these parts in assembledconnection. The spread of the arm ends l5ll and l6l'| responsive to agarment load on the frame 10, will be precluded by the outwardlydivergent strut engaging fingers 24 that cannot spread on account oftheir engagement with the strut 25.

It should be observed that this arrangement and method of assemblyinvolves no tension, deformation or strain on either the wire frame it),its arms l3l4, or its ends I5I6 or on the strut 25 as these elements areinitially shaped,

. stamped and constructed to be perfectly complemental to each other sothat they can be shipped knocked-down to save transportation space andthereafter readily assembled by the user without entailing anyappreciable time, effort or inconvenience. Any stresses or strainsimparted to the garment frame ill by virtue of the garment load thereonwill not effect the assembled relation of the garment supportingelements. The assembled relation of the component elements is maintainedowing to the fact that the inwardly curved frame arm ends I5-ll and|6-l1 register with the strut slots 26 to prevent relative turningtherebetween.

Any tendency for inward or outward displacement of the frame arms I 3l 4relative to the strut 25 is precluded'by the divergent fingerextremities 24 which protrude in and through the bottom communicatingapertures 29 provided in the strut 25. This is coupled with thehorizontal supporting line of contact between the end regions of thestrut 25 and the straight frame portions l8l9 that merge with the loopedxtremities 20 2 I. This effects a dependable interengagement between theframe ends |5-Il and Iii-l1, on one hand, and the open looped e tensionfingers 24, on the other hand, with the apertures 29, respectively, inthe solid strut 25, thereby retaining the wire frame In and the rigidstrut 25 in assembled relation without tension. deformation or strain oneither or both other than the garment load thereon.

In order to support garments such as womens skirts from the frame Inwithout doubling such garments over the strut 25, any suitable fastenersuch as safety pins 30 extend through the loops 2ll2l for engagementwith the waistband of the skirt or other garment to effect the suspendedsupport thereof. With these fasteners, such garments as skirts can besupported without folding or other undesirable creasing. ,These loops20-2l also permit the strut 25 to be inserted between the frame endsl5-l1 and l6ll and their upwardly inclined and diverging extensions 24so that the strut 25 i readily, conveniently, and effectively assembledwith the frame in to effect interengagement against accidentalseparation without entailing any appreciable time or labor. This isimportant because the Wire frames Ill and the struts 25 can be packedmore advantageously and efficiently when separated from each other.These component elements Ill-45 are furnished for assembly by thepurchaser who also can supply the suspended garment fasteners 30 asindependent accessories Within the dictates of commercial practice.

The fact that the component hanger elements l25 are initially sized tobe interfitting without any requirement to effect their assembledretention by tensioning, deforming or straining any portion thereof, thepurchaser can perfectly assemble these without any assembling equ pmentor previous experience or utilization of force which may permanentlyimpair the frame it) or strut 25 should the latter be constructed from aless durable material than solid wood.

While I have illustrated and described a pre ferred embodiment of thisinvention, it must be understood that the invention is capable ofconsiderable variation and modification without departing from thespirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to theprecise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself ofsuch variations and mod fications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a garment hanger, the combination with a solid strut, of asupporting hook and yieldable frame of wire having downwardly divergingarms, inwardly curved arm ends on said frame, inwardly projectinghorizontal portions extending from said curved arm ends to projectbeneath said solid strut, upwardly diverging extension fingers extendingabove said inwardly projecting horizontal strut supporting portions,said strut having end communicating slots therein to reduce the lengththerebetween to correspond with the spacing of said inwardly curved armends that register therewith, said strut having upwardly divergingapertures therein, said apertures being closed at their upper ends andcommunicating with the bottom of said strut to frictionally receive saiddiverging extension fingers therein with said arm end horizontallyextending portions on an under side of said strut to support andpreclude the separation of said strut from said wire frame.

2. In a garment hanger, the combination with a solid strut, of asupporting hook and yieldable frame of Wire having downwardly divergingarms, inwardly curved arm ends on said frame, curved loop terminals onsaid arm ends, upwardly extending stra ght fingers on said curved loopterminals, said strut having a somewhat greater length than the spacingbetween said inwardly curved arm ends, said strut having endcommunicating slots therein to reduce the length therebetween tocorrespond with the spacing of said inwardly curved arm ends thatregister therewith, said strut having upwardly inclined aper- 5 turestherein prox ate to the ends thereof for receiving said upwardlyextending straight fingers therein to preclude their separation whensaid frame ends extend for their normal spread through the slots in theends of said strut with said fingers and strut apertures in operativeconnection.

3. In a garment hanger, the combination with a solid wood strut, of asupporting hook and yieldable frame of wire having downwardly divergingarms, inwardly curved arm ends on said frame, horizontally extendingstraight strut supporting portions on said curved arm ends, curved loopterminals on said strut supporting portions, straight fingers extendingfrom said loops, said solid Wood strut having a somewhat greater lengththan the spacing between said inwardly curved arm ends, said struthaving end communicating inclined slots therein to reduce the lengththerebetween to correspond with the spacing and contour of said inwardlycurved arm ends that register therewith, said solid wood struthavingupwardly divergent apertures closed at their upper ends andterminating in the bottom thereof proximate to the ends thereof forreceiving said curved an arm end loop terminal fingers therein to abutagainst the upper closed ends thereof, said straight fingers normallydiverging to preclude their separation when said frame ends extend fortheir normal spread in connection with said solid wood strut with saidterminal loops depending therebelow.

4. In a garment hanger, the combination with a round solid wood strut,of a supporting hook and yieldable frame of wire having downwardlydiverging arms, inwardly curved arm ends on said frame, horizontallyextending strut supporting portions on said curved arm ends, outwardlycurved open loop terminals on said arm ends, straight upwardly divergentfingers extending 4 from said curved open loops, said solid strut havinga somewhat greater length than the spacing between said inwardly curvedarm ends, said solid strut having end communicating vertical slots inends thereof to reduce the length therebetween to correspond with thespacing of said inwardly curved arm ends that register therewith, saidsolid strut having upwardly divergent apertures extending therein fromthe bottom thereof proximate to the ends thereof for receiving said.correspondingly divergent straight fingers therein with said straightstrut supporting portions resting on a bottom wall of said strut provideeffective connection between said strut and frame arm ends when thelatter extend for their normal spread over the ends of said strut withsaid terminal loops depending below said strut.

JAMES D. CONEY.

